I apologize for the delay.
I will post this slightly late.
Jiro Tanaka, 28 years old, has a girlfriend.
His girlfriend is Suella Hendelberg.
Memoria Tris.
Occupation: Dungeon Tester (Full-time employee).
Magic Aptitude 8 (General Class).
Position: Warrior.
“Why?”
“What do you mean, why? Coming out in this situation, it’s obviously bad for you.”
I don’t need to say it; I can see it.
The surroundings are full of enemies, and the Knight Commander, who expertly dodged that magic cannon, is looking at me calmly.
Our only ally is a girl, a candidate for Hero, who is inexperienced in battle.
My body can still move, so I can fight, but if I have to cover for the inexperienced Amelia, I’ll be lucky if I last a few minutes.
If I were to compare it to a life gauge, I’d say we’re in the yellow zone.
I’m confident I’ll be killed in less than a minute if I make a wrong split-second decision.
That’s why I said it was bad timing.
Even in such a situation, I’m smiling, but my tension never wavers.
“Perhaps that’s not necessarily the case?”
“Who is it?”
A third party’s voice intrudes, neither mine nor Amelia’s. No, this is…
“My name is Mike. I haven’t been using this name for more than a few hours, though.”
“…Telepathic call?”
“Correct. It’s a relief to talk to someone who understands this. Oh, I’m not hiding or contacting you from afar. For some reason, I’m currently borrowing space inside her.”
“Huh?”
What is this intruder saying? Living inside Amelia?
Is this entity a ghost or something?
“Unfortunately, if you’re looking for advice on how to be reincarnated, please ask those in front of you. There are plenty of virtuous monks to choose from.”
“Hahaha, I can somewhat guess what kind of thoughts led you to that idea. You’re as amusing as Amī. However, I’ll have to decline that offer. Even if I have no memories, if I were to be reincarnated by those in front of me, I sincerely wish a Goblin would do it instead.”
This atmosphere, this way of speaking, it’s similar to the President.
And more than anything, the presence I feel from Amelia, which wasn’t there when we last met. Somehow, I realized who this voice most likely belongs to.
I don’t have certainty because I have no memories, but bad premonitions like this are rarely wrong.
“???”
Amelia, who is possessed, doesn’t understand our conversation, wondering what I’m talking about.
Fortunately, from her complexion and atmosphere, I can tell her health isn’t being harmed.
As they say, the person in question is the only one who doesn’t know their hardships.
Well, if she knew, I feel like she’d only be surprised. Is it Amelia’s own capacity as a potential Hero that makes me imagine such a thing?
“Well, enough idle chatter. On my end, there are still people I need to find.”
“Who are you looking for?”
The short break seems to be over, and it’s time to get back to work.
The encirclement, widened by the magic cannon, is gradually narrowing.
In a little while, combat will resume.
I feel the lack of time acutely, so I loosen my grip on the Ore Tree and spread my feet shoulder-width apart to be ready to respond to any situation.
I minimize the exertion and adopt a neutral stance.
“The trapped students, including you. I was trying to find them and run towards the entrance to the basement, but this is the situation.”
If only I could have known the whereabouts of the other students and then met up, it could have been called good timing.
I heard the approximate location from the underworld guild, and this action was decided because it was a gamble with unfavorable odds but a chance of winning.
The worsening of the current situation is frankly not ideal.
It’s not Amelia’s fault, though. You should blame my bad luck.
“Are you perhaps talking about everyone?”
Just as I was considering a change in plans, Amelia looked down into the hole and waved her arm.
From there, she floated up the figures of students, emaciated and curled up as if they were sleeping infants in a cradle.
“…Where did you get that?”
“We were captured underground, in a different place from me.”
“Hehehe, I told you, it’s not necessarily so.”
“So that’s what happened. How far can you see?”
I thought it was bad timing, but as Amelia said, it was truly good timing.
Is Amelia the Goddess of Luck or something?
And how much is this Mike grasping with so little information?
Damn, I’m a little confused because the timing was a little too perfect.
For now, I’ll be happy that one difficulty has been resolved.
“I can only see what’s within range.”
“I’m asking about that range, but well, for now…”
This intruder is going to ruin my joy, I understand that they have no intention of telling me.
I want to pursue that further, but for now, I’ll put it aside.
I’ll pursue it later, but
thanks to Amelia, who seems to be possessed by this strange thing, the situation has taken a sudden turn for the better.
With that said, I can move on to my next action.
“Bishop, I will question you about this blunder later.”
“I understand!”
This development was unexpected for them too, and their anger is at its peak today.
“Let’s do something about this situation.”
“You think we’ll let you! You blasphemer who tries to defile God’s guidance!!”
“…”
“From my perspective, I question your sanity.”
It’s probably quite bad for them that I, the Hero they had captured, have come into contact with her.
The Bishop, blushing furiously to cover it up, and the Knight Commander, quietly gathering his fighting spirit, so as not to let us escape. This battle will be even more fierce than before.
“I, I’ll fight too!”
“Yes, judging from your magic earlier, Amī’s mana management only allows for an output of zero or one. In this situation, it’s better than nothing. However, I recommend staying put for now. I’m not forcing you, but…”
“You two, stay here and protect these students.”
If something like that were shot from behind, no matter how many lives I had, it wouldn’t be enough.
And Mike, you’re enjoying this situation, aren’t you?
Even without seeing your face, I can tell from your tone.
Should I be happy that the situation has improved and I have the mental余裕 to make a joke, or should I lament that I’ve used up that mental余裕 in making a joke? I step forward without knowing.
As I do, I take out a small golden flute from my pocket.
“That’s a rare item.”
“Is there something about that flute?”
“Well, I think it would be more interesting to keep it a surprise, so I’ll stay silent.”
“Hmm, am I being neglected again?”
Mike seems to understand what this is.
“The Insect Flute!”
“It seems the answer came sooner than expected.”
And it’s no wonder the Knight Commander would know about this flute.
The Insect Flute can transmit a certain magic frequency to insect-type magic beasts.
Its effective range is quite extensive.
Due to its function, it is a legitimate piece of equipment for the Demon Lord’s Army.
For humans, it’s a flute that summons disaster.
The Knight Commander’s face turned grim as he saw it.
Naturally, he attacks to prevent me from blowing the flute, but it’s much faster for me to play a barely audible sound than to move.
“Bishop! Create a barrier! The insects are coming!!”
“Form a formation! Hurry!!”
A few moments later, the Knight Commander and I clash again, and with the impact, the flute, having served its purpose with a single blow, leaves my mouth and dances in the air.
The Knight Commander’s sword swings towards it, and the Insect Flute, ruthlessly cut in half, fulfills its duty.
“Ah, I heard that was expensive. What a waste.”
“You… possessing that means…”
The Knight Commander re-engages me in combat, having sent instructions to the Bishop.
His eyes now hold an unprecedented ferocity.
Was I suspected of being connected to the Demon Lord’s Army? They probably don’t have concrete proof yet, but I can’t deny it.
“I don’t know what you’re thinking, but there’s no point in speaking based on speculation.”
“Nonsense! I have more questions for you.”
By being evasive, my strength increases, and the sharpness of my swordsmanship improves by 20%. The intensified attacks are all I can handle, but it seems I have more mental room than him.
Thanks to that, I can still parry.
“I have nothing to say to you.”
My body moves before I can think.
I deal with the Knight Commander’s sword using all five senses.
Dodging the downward strike by turning my body half-sideways, I deflect the subsequent horizontal slash with the hilt of my Ore Tree before it can be released.
Separated by a struggle of force that lasts less than a tenth of a second, I leap backward, and the Knight Commander lunges at me.
To counter that, as I use the momentum from jumping back to kill my speed, I thrust forward, but he counters with a kick that slides along his sword, sending it back.
All I could do in response to the kick was to instinctively tense my abdominal muscles, but even so, it only mitigates the impact somewhat, and the shock compresses my internal organs.
“Then, I’ll make you spit it out.”
“Physically, you mean?”
I laugh, pretending it’s not serious.
The surroundings become noisy.
Some people tried to approach Amelia, but they backed away upon seeing her make a move as if to fire the magic cannon.
The Church forces want to settle this before disaster strikes, while I persist in trying to escape.
“Hmph!”
“Whoa!”
He attacks while I’m checking the situation.
I deflect the attack with my Ore Tree and counter, but he dodges.
My stamina is starting to wane, but my internal clock tells me it’s about time.
“Bishop! Something big is coming from the sky!!”
“Are they planning to escape with that! Fool, they’ll be shot down by the castle wall’s artillery if they get too low!”
“They’re here,” I judge the timing with the voices of the Bishop and others.
“Well then, I should be going.”
“You won’t escape!”
“It’s bad manners to stop someone who’s trying to leave, right?”
First, to distance myself from the Knight Commander, I rip off the second button of my suit.
I don’t forget to close my eyes tightly at that moment.
The moment I closed my eyes, I confirmed through my eyelids that my suit jacket emitted a powerful flash of light.
“Even with my eyes closed, it’s blinding. What kind of power is that?”
I reconfirmed that the special suit made by Giants isn’t just for show, its power is such that looking directly would cause blindness.
The Knight Commander, who is the victim, has his eyes closed in pain, but he can sense my movements and isn’t showing any openings.
“Wait!”
“Do you think a fool would wait when told to wait? Amelia! Float the students!”
“O-OK!”
We’re not in a position to attack a wounded beast.
For us, stopping their movement is enough.
I take advantage of the brief window of time to distance myself from the Knight Commander.
Although he tries to adapt to my movements, his lack of sight makes his movements imprecise, and he can’t keep up with my sudden actions, forcing him into a defensive posture.
Furthermore, the flash earlier affected the surrounding soldiers, leaving almost no one able to move, so I have free rein.
Amelia, whom I’m heading towards, has also been affected, but that’s within expectations.
As Mike gives instructions, saying it should be possible if they are as I imagine, I confirm that the students have been floated.
“We’re jumping!”
“Fly!?”
“No, I mean jump!”
The huge shadow coming from the sky, hit by magic bombardment from below, cannot maintain low-altitude flight and hasn’t reached the vicinity of this cathedral.
In that case, we’ll have to get closer.
Going all the way to the distant sky is not impossible, but reckless. But that’s where fantasy comes in.
While running towards Amelia, I pick her up in one arm and tell the students, “Sorry, but please bear with me for now while floating,” while they remain in their floated state.
Then, I activate the magic tool I was hiding.
“This is a valuable experience, Amelia. Don’t bite your tongue.”
“Huh?”
The activated magic tool, a strong magical reaction from the sole of my leather shoes, feels like the precursor to a bomb explosion.
And a magic circle unfolds at my feet.
“Target setting, fixed direction, output critical!”
Following the procedure step-by-step, I ignore Amelia, who’s bewildered by the ominous atmosphere, and shout the message sent by the familiar Giant weapon shop owner.
“There’s no seatbelt! Emergency Ejection System, activate!!”
This is less like a jet propulsion and more like the moment a bomb explodes.
Below the magic circle, or more precisely, the sole of my shoe, causes an incredible explosion, launching my body towards the sky.
It’s the emergency ejection system, a creation of the Giants, whose mad blood was stirred by seeing the ejection devices from car seats in various spy movies.
A product that has almost no use is now seeing the light of day.
This jump is one-way; I’m only thinking about going up.
It’s a flawed product that doesn’t even consider countermeasures for falling.
And since it was originally designed to lift an entire class onto the magic circle and escape from this city, its power is vastly stronger than the ejection devices in movies.
“What’s going on!?”
“Hahaha! This is a creation of the Giants! They make interesting things again!”
I’ve at least put up a barrier against air resistance, so there’s no problem while jumping.
Amelia, who can’t see, and the sleeping students don’t know what’s happening, but I, who can see, and Mike, who perceives, probably understand well.
We’re being blown high into the sky at an incredible speed.
“They went overboard, those fools!”
Certainly, this way we can escape, but how are we supposed to deal with the insects in the sky when we’ve flown past them!!
In my haste, I flew past a gigantic dragonfly-like magic beast.
The rider hastily manipulates the reins and chases after us.
Meanwhile, magic attacks are flying from below, but my escape speed is faster, and they can’t catch up.
“Yo, bro! That’s quite a flashy entrance! Are you the customers the Vampire matriarch told me to pick up?”
“That’s right! Who would book to come to a place like this! Stop dawdling and do your job!”
“OK, I’m glad to see my brother is doing well. Can you make the transfer?”
“If I could, I would have done it already!!”
“Then it’s going to get a little rough. Let’s go, partner!”
The rider caught up to us faster than we were falling.
Using magic to amplify his voice, he grasps the situation and deftly moves the reins.
The rider and the magic beast synchronize, moving their massive bodies carefully and performing an aerial somersault to keep pace with us as we leap into the sky.
“Are you alive, bro!”
“I’m realizing how wonderful a floor that doesn’t fall is. Can I have a smoke break?”
“O-Ow.”
“Hahaha, quite powerful, isn’t it.”
I’m caught in a basket mounted on the dragonfly’s back, designed to carry people, as if it were a “nice shot.” I’m realizing I’m alive right now.
It’s a bit rough being stowed away, but I’ll accept it for now.
Amelia is holding her mouth, perhaps having bitten her tongue from the initial shock.
The other students have also been safely accommodated.
With a sigh of relief, I ask the rider holding the reins, “Can we escape?” and he gestures for me to take one.
Is this basket also a magic tool? I feel neither cold nor wind.
Thanks to that, my cigarette lights easily.
“Can we get away?”
“Who are you asking? We’ve got this.”
“I see. Then, as planned.”
I was told this country also has some aerial combat power.
I ask if there are any problems with the escape after inhaling smoke and get a “no problem” reply.
In that case, it’s as planned.
“Everyone, I left them behind.”
“Huh?”
“Jiro-san, Mike, was this the right thing to do?”
“Given the situation, this result is actually the best. If Amī had stayed there, neither you nor the lives of those here would have lasted. Just being able to save them is an achievement. When you say ‘everyone,’ you’re probably referring to people other than these individuals, but there was no room to take anyone else from that spot at that time.”
As I was thinking about the next plan in my head, Amelia, freed from the pain, had become serious.
She’s probably feeling guilty about escaping by herself.
“Ah, sorry.”
“N-No! I’m not blaming Jiro-san!”
“No, I mean I’m sorry for not explaining enough. Rider, what’s Memoria’s response color?”
“Green, brother!!”
Then it was worth the effort to put my body on the line.
“Then, it means things are going smoothly on their end too. Amelia, you can probably rest assured that your classmates have also been safely brought out.”
“Huh?”
Sorry, Amelia, I’m not good at serious situations.
Jiro Tanaka, 28 years old, has a girlfriend.
His girlfriend is Suella Hendelberg.
Memoria Tris.
Occupation: Dungeon Tester (Full-time employee).
Magic Aptitude 8 (General Class).
Position: Warrior.
Today’s word:
The sense of relief after a job is done is immense.
The next installment will cover the behind-the-scenes drama of the Hero’s abduction.
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